Sheet-trimming machine



C. A. FRAHM SHEET TRIMMING MACHINE QA. FRAHM y SHEET TRIMMNG MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheez 2 Filed July l, 1921 July l?, w23. EAMQS c. A. FRAHM Y,

SHEET TRIMMING MACHINE July i7, l923 ffilw@ C. A. FRAHM SHEET TRIMMING MCHINE Filed July l. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 um.. am..

U mw wh. 21? m :i A A July 17, 1923. 1,461,796

C. A. FRAHM SHEET TRIMMING MACHINE Filed July 1, 1921' 5 sheets-sheet 5 Car//LEz/Zzm @Honwtfl naar. a.

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masiva/Serenna 'ro Umm ALLQY STEEL CRPORATION, F CANTON,'0HIO, CORPORATION OFNEW Y0 iapplicano; naa my 1,

provements in SheetTrimming Machines,

' of which the following is a. specilication.

The invention relates to machines for trimming the ends of metal sheets; and the W object of the improvement is to provide an automatic` machine which .will trul trim each end of the sheet, and maybe a justed for trimming sheets of dilerent predetermined. lengths..

The v'manufacture of erpanded metal lath or the like frequently leaves the sheets with ragged or irregular ends, and .when such va V4sheet is made with unexpanded ribs longitudinally located between expanded zones, it may be desirable, if not.. necessary, to square the ends of the sheets 4by trimming off protruding portionsresulting from the ex anding operations. v

he present invention involves the use of, a shearingA head with parallel shearing blades o erating between arallel shearing dies, a s idin pin clutch or operating the shearing hea eans for feeding asheet to and fromA the machine, with a forward trip arm actuated by the forward end 'of the sheet for trimming the same endby the forward shearing blade, and a rear trip arm actuated by the same end of thesheet for 'trimming the rear end ofthe sheetto a predetermined length by the rear Fshearing blade. v

y A preferred embodiment of the machine is illustrated in the. accompanyingdrawings vforming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 1s a plan view, in two sections,

l of the trimmingmachine;

Fig. 2, an enlarged side elevation of the operating mechanism; 1

Fig. 3, an enlarged plan of the operating mechanism; l Y Fig. 4, a side elevation section of theoperating mechanism, on line IV-IV Fig..3; l Fig. 5, a longitudinal section of the trimming mechanismq on line V-V, Fig. 1;

Fig. '6, a cross section online Vl'- VI,

Figs. 2 and 3, showing the trimming mecha-l nism in front elevation;

man smal rt. armas.

Fig. a cross section on line F1 2; f

9, an inside elevation of the same; F1 10, a cross section of the same on X- Fig; 9; and

. Fig,v 11, a fragmentary perspective view of the forward trip arm.

v Similar numerals refer ,toi similar parts throughout the drawings. The trimming mechanism includes a shearinghead 1, and shearing dies 2 and 2' on opposite sides of the tread, the same bef. lng mounted' between standards 3 upon a base 4. The trimming head may be oper#V ated upward and downward vbetween the shearing diesby well known means, asa cross head 5, ides 6a fragmenta perspective view of. `the rear trip arm and't e `adiacent, guides;

1in@ i itman 7, a crank shaft 8, a sli e pin clutc 9, and a driven pulley 10, arranged as shown in-Fig. 6. `Parallel shearingblades 1 1 and 11 are secured on the opposite sides ofthe shearing head, and the edges vof these blades are adapted to cooperate with the ed es of the parallel-shearing dies 2 and'r2 or su`cces.l I

sively trimming the forward and rear end of a sheet as it is fed through the' machine..

-sheet 14. to feed mechanism; and these rolls may be ides 15 in a well known manner. lThe fee -out conveyor may include a series of pairs of rolls 1,6 driven bythe gearing 17 and operating on the expanded zones of thesheet to feed the saine .from the Vslitting mechanism.

The forward trip arm 18 may have a trip ,block 19 with a roughened forward face on its lower end, andis formed or secured on the forward end of a rock sleeve 20 having another rock arm 21 on its other end; which rock sleeve 20 is mounted" for rotating and sliding endwise upon thel forward trip shaft v22, which Ain turn ismounted for rotating and sliding endwise in bearings 23 secure to the frame ofthe machine. K

The rock arm 18, normall extends downn ward yand inward' so that t 'e trip block 19 l'will be in the path of one ed e portion of thesheet'to'be trimmed, whic may be the s rib. alongI one side of, an expanded sheet;

and a roller 24 is preferably mounted on a pivotjpin extending directly inward from the end of thevtrip arm 18 adjacent to the inner lower side of the trip block 19.

A weight 25 is suspended from the rock arm'21 onvthe rear end of the trip sleeve 20, and tends to hold thetrip arm 18 in normal position with the trip b-lock 19 .in the path of the edge of the sheet, while permitting the sleeve to be rotated to swing thev trip' block to one side of the same; the rotationfl Y shown in Fig. 11.

The crank arm 29 is connected by the rod 30 with a lever 31 which isfulcrummedat '32 on the side of the standard 3, which v'lever is normally pulled downward bythe spring 32 connected with the standard 3, and is rovided with a roller33 riding on the periphery of the cam 34 on one end of ythe crank shaft 8.

A flange 36 is secured on the forwardltrip shaft 22 at a convenient place 1n front of the standard of the shearing mechanism, in

rear of which flange `is located the inner .end of a transverse bar 37, secured to the upper endjof the lever 38, `the lower'end of which lever is secured to a transverse rock "shaft 39, on the other end'of which shaft is secured a crank arm 40, whlch 1s connected b .the bar 41, the crank shaft 42 and the ar l43 with the clutch 9, for actuating' the same; the parts being so arranged that a rearward movement of the forward trip shaft 22 will cause the flange 36 to impinge the bar 37 and' move the same rearward for actuating-the clutchto give the crank shaft one rotation, which moyes the shearing head downward for a shearing operation and thence upward 'into normal position.

The rearward movement ofthej forward trip shaftl 22 is resisted by the coiiled -compression s ring 44l in the tubular guide 45 extended f m the rear end of the shaft, and the piston ,46` bearing against the spring in the rear end of the tubular guide; which piston is secured on the'forward end of a rod 47 secured at its' rear Vend to a bearing on the frame of the feed-out conveyor. i

A collar 48'` is secured to the forward trip shaft 22 adjacent to the rear side lof the l hb 28 of the crank arm 29 thereon and at aninterval in front of one-ofthe shaft bear m'gs 23, and another collar 49 is secured to -tl'e same shaft adjacent to the rear end-of vthe same bearing; whi'chlcollars, serve as stops to limit the longitudinal movement of the shaft, and are so located that a forward movement of the shaft caused b the action of the compression spring 44 will be stopped with the trip block 19 in normal position for actuating a trimming of the forward end ofa sheet; anda rearward movement of the shaft will be stopped just as soon as the forward trip mechanism has performed its actuating operation." v

Most of the mechanism thus farA described is concerned primarily withl the operation' `of trimming the forward end of a sheet delivered 'to the trimming mechanism by the feed-in conveyor. As the forward end of the sheet travels upon and over the forward shearing Vdie 2,- it is preferably directed and held downward upon the same by suitable guides 50; and as the sheet advances, one corner thereof impinges the trip block 19 and acting through the trip sleeve 20 and the crank hub 28 against the collar 48, moves the forward'trip shaft rearward so that the flange 36 on its forward end impinges and moves the bar 37 rearward, which actuates the clutch and causes the shearing head 1 to descend and trim the advance end of the sheet by 'the co-operation of the forwardy shearing blade v11 and the forward shearing die 2; the sheet being stopped during the shearing operation, by the contact of the collar 48 with the forward end of the bearing 23, during which stopping the feedin rolls 12 slide uponthe sheets.

The sheared oil' end of the sheet falls downward into the base of the machine, and the descending trimming head impinges the .inner side of the trip arm 18, thereby de- Afleeting the trip block 19 outward to clear the side ofthe sheet by a rotation of the trip sleeve 20 uponl the shaft 22. During the upward operation of the shearing head, the cam 34 actsupon the roller 33 to raise the lever 31, the connecting bar 30 and the crank arm 39, to rotate the trip sleeve and.

hold the triparm 18 and block 19 clearof the side of the sheet; wherenpon'the sheet is promptly moved forward by action of the feed-in rolls and passes on to the feedout conveyor.

Just as soon as the trip block 18 has been swung outward to clear the edge of the sheet, the forward trip bar 22 and the tripping device mounted thereon, are' promptly moved forward into normal position by action of thev compression spring 44, and wheng the sheet moves rearward, the roller 24 preferably rides against the edge of the sheet lfor holding the trip block yand trip arm clear of the same. Just as soon as the rear'end of the sheet haspassed beyond the trip arm, the

same swings inward into normal position by laction of the weight 25. ,"As the sheetproceeds rearward, its forward end is ed on to the rear shearing die y2 by means of an inclined plate guide 51 mounted on the (up r ends of the suplower ends securedlon the ends of the transverse bar 55 rest'ng on the lingers 56 extending forward rom ther-ook shaft 57 supported in bearings 58 and provided with ran armr59 extending rearward, which arm is normally held downward by the spring 60 therebylholdingthe inclined guide plate 5 1 upward in proper position for directing the end of the sheet on tothe rear shearing Guide bars 61 are preferably providedat the forward end of the feed-out conveyor for holding shearing die; and as the sheet moves rearward, it'is engaged by the feed-out rolls 16,v

and conveyed away from the shearing mechanism.

The rear trip arm 62 is secured upon the rear trip shaft 63, which is rotatable and endwise inovable in bearings 64 and 164 mounted on vthe frame of the feed-out conveyor.

Therearward movement of the rear trip shaft 63 is resisted by the expansion spring 65 which connects it with-the frame of the feed-out conveyor, and upon its rear vend is secured a gear rack 66 meshing with a gear pinion 67 on the rear end of the forward trip shaft 2 2, so arranged that one shaft can move endwise with reference to the other,

the sheet down upon the rear porting bars `5?.,toperat11ig1; in u right tubuf -lar guides 53 and having hea s 54 onthe wise movement; and its other ange 76 isI provided with an upright tongue 77 .on its forward end which is connected to the trip arm 62 by a bar 78, and its forward end is deflected downward to`form a support, to.

which is connected the rear end of a guide plate 80 having its forward end curved upwardin rear of the upright tongue 77 thereby forming an upper guide for the edge portion of the sheet. il

IAs the sheet is moved rearward by the feed-out conveyor, the corner or edge portion of the advance end impinges the trip s' plate 68 and carries it with the rear tri bar 63 and the connecting bar 69 rearwar thereby actuating the clutch for operating f the shearing head to trim the rear end of the sheet by the 3o-operation of the rear trimming blade with the rear trimming die,

the sheet being stopped by the abutment of the rear end of the gear rack 66 against the: adjacent bearing 64. During'this operation theinclined guide 51 is pushed downward by the shearing blade 11', against the action of 'the spring 60, which reacts to 'return the guide plate into normal positionl just as soon as the. shearingjhead is` moved upwardafter trimmin the sheet; whereupon the cut-0E -end of t e sheet drops downward into. the

whileva rotation of the one shaft will be` communicated to the other..

.The inner end of the rear trip-arml 62 is curved downwardto form the trip plate 68 normally resting upon the bottom of the rear feed-out conveyor in the edge portion of the sheet.

A connecting bar 69 is ivoted at its rear to the rear trigA end to a post 70 .secure shaft, and at its forward end is provide with a slotted head 71 engaging the outerl end ofthe bar 37 xtending from the upper end of the lever 8 clutch!) may be actuated as described above.

The normalA position of the slotted head is with the forward end of 'theslot in engagement with the transverse bar, so that a rearward movement of the connecting rod 69 Vserves to actuate the clutch,' while the ward when the forward trip slot permits the cross bar 37 to `move rearis operated without affecting the rear trip.

An angle'plate 72. is preferably provided, having its lower iiange secured to the bottom of the feed-out conve or in front of the trip arm 62 and its uprig t plate 72' curved at its. forward end to form a guide for the edge of the sheet. Upon this upright liange is slidably mounted an angle plate with its .overlapping iiange 73 secured by bolts 74 through slotsv 7 5,' permitting a limited endpath of the by means of which the base of the machine. 4

As the shearing head raises after trimmingthe rear end of thecsheet, the action of the cam 34 raises the crank arm 29 which rotates the forward trip shaft one way and the rear trip shaft the other wa and raises the rear trip arm and swings the trip plate upward out of the pathof the sheet; whereupon the. sheet, which has been stopped during thev shearing operationfmoves forward and is delivered from the machine by action of the rolls-16. I y

The rear trip arm 62-is ad'us'ted'longitudinally on the rear 'trip sha t 63 so as to shear the rearend of the sheet at a predetermined length, and a series of angle guide plates as shown in Fig. 8, may be secured at spaced intervals along the feed-out conveyor for co-opera-ting with the trip' ar-m 62for trimming sheets of different lengths. During Leach tripping operation, the guide plate 80 follows the trip plate 68 rearward, and

loc i prevents the pressure of the sheet from. bending yor defiecting the corner ofthe sheet up ward against the trip plate when it stops the.I

f. I claim mechanism, one of said devices-being adjustablewith respect to the, ther device.

3. A sheet trimming machine including :al recip'rocatmg head with shearing` edges on opposite sides, shearingv dies co-operating with the shearing edges, means moving a sheet over the shearing dies, mechanism actuated by the movement of the sheet operating the headv for trimming the ends of the sheet on the respective dies and two independent trip devices for controlling the operation of said mechanism.

4. A sheet trimming machine including a m reciprocating head with shearing edges on .opposite sides, shearing dies co-operating with the shearing edges, means lmoving a.

sheet over the shearing dies, mechanism for yoperating the head to trim the ends of the sheet on the respective dies including a trip arm beneath said head for stopping the' sheetv and actuating the mechanism fortrimf ming the forward end of the sheet.

5. A sheet trimmin machine including a reciprocating head with shearing edges on opposite sides, shearing dies co-,oper'ating with the shearing edges, means moving a sheet over the shearing dies, mechanism for operating the head to trim the ends of the sheet on thel respective dies including a trip arm arrangedl to be engaged by the sheet after it has passed beyond said dies for stopping the sheet and actuating the mechanism for trimming the rear end of the sheet.

6. A sheet trimming machine including a reciprocating headwith shearing edges on opposite sides, shearing' dies co-operating with the shearing edges, means moving a sheet over the shearing dies, mechanism for operating the head.l to trim the ends of the sheet on the respective dies including a trip arm and longitudinally adjustable means for stopping the sheet after its front end has passed beyond said dies andactuating the mechanism for trimmingthe rear end of the sheet ata prede'tenninedlength.

7 A sheet trimmingmachine including a i reciprocating head withshearing vedges on opposite sides, 'shearing dies `izo-operating with the shearing edges, means moving "a sheet over vthe shearing' dies, mechanism for operating the head to trim the ends of the sheet on the respective dies including two independent trip arms for successively stopping the sheetl and actuating the mechanism for trlmming the forward and rear ends of the sheet.

operating the head to trimthe ends of the sheet on therespective dies including'y trip arms for successively stopping the sheet and .actuating the mechanism for first trimming the forward end and then trimmingthe rear i end ofthe sheet at a predetermined length.

9. A'sheet trimming machine including a reciprocating head with shearing edges on opposite sides, shearing dies co-operating with the shearing edges, means moving a sheet over the shearing dies, mechanism for operating the shearing head including a trip armnormally in the path'of the sheet for stopping the same and actuating the mechanism and means for adjusting said trip arm longitudinally with respectpto the direction of movement of said sheet. v

10. A sheet trimming machine including a reciprocating head with shearing edges on opposite sides, shearing diesA co-operating with the shearing edges, ymeans moving a sheet over the shearing dies, and a'mechanism for operating the shearing head including a Atrip arm normally in the pathV of the sheet for stopping the same and actuating the mechanism, and means holdingthe trip arm free of the sheet duringthe rev l turn movement of the head.

11. A sheet trimming machine includ-in a reciprocating head with shearing kedges on opposite sides, shearing dies co-operatlng with the shearing edges, means moving a sheet over .the shearing dies, and mechanism for operating the shearing head including a trip arm normally in the path of the sheet for stopping fthe same and actuating the mechanism and means actuated by the operating mechanism for swinging the trip arm from the path of the sheet-during the return movement ofthe head.

12. A sheet trimming mechanism ing a reciprocating head with shearing edges on opposite sides, shearingv dies cooperating with the shearing edges, meansV moving a sheet over 'the shearing dies, mechanism for operating the head to trim the ends of the sheet on the respective dies and yielding means guiding the forward end of the sheet on to the rear shearing die. j

13./A sheet trimming machine including a reciprocating head with shearing 'edges on opposite sides, shearing d ies co-operatlng with the shearing edges, means moving a sheet ove'l` the shearing dies, mechanism for nclud- Y I operating the-head to trim the ends of the sheet on the respective dies including a slide pin clutch, and trip arms for alterynately` stopping a sheet and actuating the clutch to operate` the'shearing head for trimming the forward and rear ends of the sheet.

14, .sheet trimming machine including a reciprocating head with shearing edges on opposite sides, shearing dies co-operating operating the head to trim the rear end of the sheet including a trip. plate impingng -head having co-operating a' lforward corner of the sheet for stopping the same and actuating the trimming mechanism, and a sliding guidemoving with the trip plate for the corner portion of the sheet.

16. In a machine for trimming ribbed expanded metal lath, two oppositely disposed 'stationary shearing dies, a reciprocatory shearing dies,

clutch means for controllln the operation of said head, rib guides leading to said dies,

means for feedinga ribbed expandedr sheet along said guides to said dies, a yielding trip stop for. stopping said sheet and oper-V ating said, clutch, ribguides leading away another trip stop adapted to be engaged by from said dies,vand means for feeding a trimmed sheet alongsaid latter guides.

17. In amachine for trimming ribbed expanded metal lath upper and lower shearlng dies, a clutch for controlling the operation of the upper die, means for feeding a ribbed sheet 'to said dies, a trip 'stop for stopping said sheet and operating said clutch, guiding means beyond said dies, and

avrib to actuate said clutch.

18. In' a machine for trimming ribbed expanded metal lath, rib feeding means at one end of the machine, mesh feeding means at the opposite end of the machine, station-A ary and reciprocablecutters located between the same, and automatic means for starting and stopping the' said reciprocable cutters, including two independent y operable stop trip devices engaged by the sheet to be 1.. l t...

a mac e or r1 expanded metal lath,l means for f an anded metal sheet into the machine, trim-l cutters, means for actuating said cut-l for stopping the sheet to y ters, a trip stop trim the front end at' the proper place, and a mond trip stop for stopmglme sheet and trimming the rear en at thev proper a tri place with` respect to the length of the A sheet.

In 'an expanded metal trimming machme, shearing cutters, means for feeding a sheet to said cutters, means for feeding a sheet` away from said cutters, two automatic trip stopping devices for stopping the sheet, and means actuated. thereby for op-' erating the said cutters to trim the opposite en`ds of the sheet.

21. In an expanded metal trimming machine, shearing cutters, means for feeding a sheet to said cutters, means for .feeding a sheet away from said cutters, two automatic trip stopping devices for stopping the sheet, means actuated thereby for operating the said cutters to. trim the opposlte ends of the sheet, and ay eared connection between said trip sto evices.

' 22. In anexpan ed metal trimming'machine, continuously operable means forfeeding a sheet, oppositely disposed stationary cutters, a reciprocating head, cutters carried thereby for co-operating with the stationary cutters, and two tri stop devices connected to each other and a apted to be actuated by the sheet.

n 23-111 a machine for trimming a ribbed expanded sheet, rib guides, rib feeding discs, a cutter head, means for actuating the same, a clutch for controlling the actuating means, a trip actuated by a rib of the sheet for stopping the sheet and releasing the clutch, and means actuated by the cutter head for retracting said trip.

24. In a machine for trimming a Aribbed expanded sheet, rib guides, rib feeding discs, a cutter head, means for actuating the same, a clutch for controlling the actuatln means, actuated by a rib vof the s eet for stopping the sheet and releasin lthe clutch, means actuated bv the cutter ead for retracting said trip, and means connected to i cluding a trip stop actuate b said sheet,-1

anda roller carried therebyy or engaging 'the sheet to hold said' stop out of the way while said sheet is traveling.

26. Amachine fqr trimming an expanded metal sheet, comrising .means for frictionally feeding a eet, reci rocatm cutters for trimmmg the front an rear en of the sheet, twoyielding tri stops, and means of connection between t e same.` l

27. -In a machine for trimming an expanded metal sheet, means for frxctionally the sheet to feed the same, a reciprocatmg head and cutter for trimming the front-end of the sheet, a yielding trip stop normally in the path of the sheet for stopping the sheet, and means actuated thereby for moving said cutter head to trimA the sheet, .said headk engaging said stop to retract the same and permit the sheet toL move as soonfas said head is raised.`

` 28. In a machine for trimmin an `ex- 4pandech metal sheet, means for frlctionally engaging the sheet -to feed the same, a re- "sheet, said head engaging .said stoprto re-y v tract the same and permit the sheet to move directing the ribs o ciprocat-lng head and cutter for trimming as'soon as said head is raised, and a second tripstop actuated by the sheet and retracted by the movement of said head.

l 29. In a machine for trimming ribbed eX- pandedmetal lath, a tplurality ofguides for a sheet continuously driven rolls for en aging'the ribs and feeding them along t e guides, a stationary shearing die, a recipxrocating head, a die co-operating therewit means for actuating Said head, a trip stop for stopping the sheet and releasing said actuating means, rib guides leading away from said head and dies, and friction rolls for en aging the sheet between said guides to fee the sheet away from said dies.

30. A machine for trimming an'` expanded metal sheet, comprising continuously oper# ating lmeans for frictionally engaging a sheet to feed the same, stationary shearing dies a reciprocating head, dies carried thereby andco-operatingwith the stationary dies, and mechanism for actuating said head, including two connected trip sto devices .located on opposite sides of said Yhead vand actuated bythe sheet and by said head. CARL A. FRAHM. 

